Fans lined up outside the Country Music Hall of Fame well before 6am on the morning of Wednesday, June 6th to get a good spot, as it was a sold out event. The GAC Kick-Off Breakfast was stacked with great entertainment inside the lobby of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The event was hosted by GAC and included a breakfast with acoustic performances from Kip Moore, Thompson Square, Lauren Alaina, & Josh Turner.
Kip Moore – photo by Mike Carroll
Kip Moore kicked off the show after being introduced by Storme Warren of GAC, who was the emcee for the event. Kip played songs off of his current album with his guitar player in an acoustic setting. Kip thanked fans for the success of “Somethin’ Bout A Truck” as he closed with it, then we quickly moved on to the next act.
Thompson Square was next with Keifer taking care of the guitar-playing duties for the reigning ACM Duo of the Year.
Kiefer Thompson – photo by Mike Carroll
They performed their hits “Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not,” “I Got You,” and “Glass,” among others.
Shawna Thompson – photo by Mike Carroll
Lauren Alaina was quick witted and humorous, even at 8am. She performed her song “Like My Mother Does” as well as her feisty single “Georgia Peaches.” She provided comedic relief as at one point, she mis-stepped and punched a hole in the stage with the heel of her shoe.
Lauren Alaina – Photo by Leslie Paczosa
Josh Turner was the headliner of the event. His set featured his current single “Time is Love” off of the album Punching Bag that was released the day before. He went through several of his hits before closing the show. Little did we know that Punching Bag would go on to be the #1 album in country music that week!
Josh Turner – photo by Mike Carroll
After the show, the fans were treated to Meet & Greets with all four artists, allowing them to obtain their autographs and pose for photos with all four acts. The ticket to the breakfast also gave fans free admission into the Hall of Fame anytime during CMA Fest, which made it a great deal. Overall it was a great experience and well worth the price of admission!